Gurdwaras In Pakistan

Gurdwaras In Pakistan - An Overview
Dr. Preetam Singh,* Q.C., Montreal, Canada

Situation of Sikh Gurdwaras before partition of India
in 1947:

The advent of Banda Singh Bahadur was a powerful
magnet for the rural people of the Punjab to join the
Khalsa Panth; but their wholesale conversion to Sikhism
did not affect their existing neighborly relationship with
the Muslims. It was the invading forces of the foreigners
and their local satraps, with whom the Khalsa waged
wars, and ultimately prevailed, that the Sikhs had the
conflict. For about a half century of Sikh rule, the Sikhs
practised their religion and looked after their sacred
places with devotion and dignity. The number of
Gurdwaras began to increase throughout the length and
breadth of the Punjab. The practices became uniform and
were reflective of the real precepts that had been laid
down by the Sikh Gurus.

The effect of the creation of SGPC in 1925: The Act
of 1925 finally gave the control of the Historic Sikhs
Gurdwaras of the Punjab to a representative committee of
Sikhs, and it rectified the unsatisfactory situation that was
hastening the destruction of the Sikh religious places and
principles. The Sikh community at that time had woken up
to the realization that, unless it took charge of its own
affairs, the sacrifices of its ancestors to propagate and
sustain this great religion would have been made in vain.
Many prominent institutions came into being, and many

devoted and able Sikhs gave their all to uplift the grass-
root Sikhs. The result was spectacular. Malwa, Doaba,
Majha and Pothohar produced Sikhs of vision and ability.
There was an all-round improvement in the understanding
and psyche of the Sikhs that reflected itself in a clear and
unadulterated practice of Sikhism.

Situation of Gurdwaras in Pakistan after partition of
India: The partition of India had a debilitating and
damaging effect on the Sikhs, particularly on those who
had established for themselves flourishing farms and
businesses. Leaving everything behind, and fleeing to
East Punjab was a very painful, traumatic and
disheartening experience. Perforce, the sacred places had
to be abandoned, and there was nothing that they could
do about those. For a half century, the Sikhs have been
praying for the opportunity to be granted to them to visit
the shrines, sacred to the memory of the Gurus, and to
those of the Sikh ancestors who had given their all for the
preservation and promotion of the Khalsa Panth. For many
decades after the partition of India, the Congress
governments held continuous control of the country.
When time began to heal the wounds sustained by the
partition, the Sikhs began to stir for some kind of an
approach to the sacred shrines. Inherently there never
has been any rivalry between Sikhism and Islam. The
rural population of the Punjab, had no causa belli with
their neighbors before the advent of Islam in 1001 AD.
Although they saw some of those neighbors convert to
Islam after that, they still remained friendly and co-
operative neighbors. The alien rule of the British and their
"divide and rule" policy brought about certain slackness in
their devotion to the Sikh Code of religious and social

ethics. This trend was, however, arrested and slowly
reversed after the creation of the S.G.P.C in 1925.

Status of Sikh Gurdwaras in countries that became
independent of Colonial Rule:

a. China: The advent of Communism drove all religions
out of the country. The flourishing Sikh Gurdwaras, for
example, in Shanghai were abandoned, there was no
Sangat for these.

b. Fiji: The racial prejudice against non-Fijians
inhibited and cramped the growth and practice of Sikhism.

C. East Africa: The professional and _ business
opportunities for Asians were severely curtailed and, for
political reasons, large numbers of people emigrated to
UK or India. The reduced Sikh population made many
Gurdwaras redundant.

The effect on Sikh Gurdwaras of the division of post-
1947 Punjab: Unlike the partition of India, the
dismemberment of the Punjab into the States of Haryana
and Himachal Pardesh, did not involve a movement of
populations. It however, put a brake on the expansion of
the Sikh religion in these areas.

Status of Takhts: When the SGPC was created in
1925, it was charged with the functioning and upkeep of
the Historic Gurdwaras of the Punjab (as it was then).
Thus, the Gurdwaras of Punjab, in what later became
"Pakistan", Haryana" and "Himachal Pardesh" were
subject to the jurisdiction of SGPC. As Pakistan was born

as a sovereign Islamic republic, the jurisdiction of the
SGPC over the historic Sikh Gurdwaras in the West Punjab
ceased. The Sikhs could have access to these sacred
places only in the manner - and to the extent - that the
Pakistan government permitted.

The position of the Gurdwaras in Haryana and
Himachal Pardesh is, however, different. These two states
being an integral part of India, the jurisdiction of SGPC
over the Sikh Historic Gurdwaras there has continued. Of
the three Takhts in the Punjab, namely, Sri Akal Takht
Sahib, Sri Kesgarh Sahib, and Sri Dam-Dama Sahib, the
first two were included in the 1925 Act, but the Central
Government left the inclusion of Dam Dama Sahib in
abeyance. On the Baisakhi tercentenary celebrations this
year, it has at last been included. Now the legal status of
these three Takhts is equal.

The Gurdwaras of Delhi are within the jurisdiction of
DSGPC created by a parochial Act for the purpose.

The Takhts, Sri Patna Sahib and Takht Sri Hazoor
Sahib are made subject to the laws of Bihar and
Maharashtra, respectively. The satellite Gurdwaras of
these Takhts are included in the jurisdiction of the
Committees appointed thereunder.

As Pakistan is a sovereign country, and the Laws of
India cannot apply to it extra-territorially, by establishing
its own PGPC, the Pakistan government is mirroring the
jurisdictional legislations of India. No exception can,
therefore, be taken by anyone for this creation that is

applicable to the Sikh Gurdwaras within its realm and for
giving their control to its Sikh citizens.

Present situation of Sikh Gurdwaras_ in
Pakistan:

Nankana Sahib,the birthplace of Guru Nanak, has
satellite Gurdwaras like Bal Lila, Gurdwara Patti Sahib,
Gurdwara Maalji Sahib, Gurdwara Kiara Sahib, Gurdwara
Tamboo Sahib, as well as the Gurdwaras of Guru Arjan
Devji and Guru HarGobind Sahib, and Gurdwara Nihang
Singhan, etc. In Choohar Kanna, the Gurdwara Sacha
Sauda. In Lahore, Gurdwara Shahid Ganj, Dehra Sahib,
as well as Gurdwara Guru Nanak Garh, Guru Ramdas
Dharamsala, Gurdwara Diwan Khana, and Baoli Sahib.
Gurdwara Shikar Garh of Guru Hargobind Sahib,
Gurdwara Bhai Budhu da Ava, Gurdwara Lall Khooh,
Gurdwara Shahid Ganj of Bhai Mani Singh and Shahid
Ganj of Bhai Taroo Singh. Apart from the Dera Sahib
Gurdwara in Lahore, and the Nankana Sahib and its
satellite Gurdwaras, the others are neglected and are
deteriorating daily. There is very little local Sangat, but
Punjabi and overseas Sikhs visit these on their travels to
Pakistan.

Kartarpur Sahib (the place of demise of Guru
Nanak): This Gurdwara, by virtue of its eminence, should
be the focus of every visiting Sikh, but it is a sad fact that
it is the least visited shrine. Over the years the Gurdwara
building is now in ruins. S.G.P.C. has totally neglected it.

Panja Sahib: This Gurdwara has space and scenery.
It is well visited by overseas Sikhs, and by the Jathas led
by S.G.P.C. It is well guarded by the Pakistan security and

it is in a healthy state of preservation. There is no local
Sangat, but there are Resident Granthis.

Other Gurdwaras like Bhai Lallo?s in Eminabad, and
those in and around West Punjab, North West Frontier
Province, Baluchistan and Sind. Except for Bhai Lallo’s, the
others are boarded up. There are no local Sangats, except
in Peshawar.

The ability of SGPC to oversee the West Punjab
Gurdwaras: In fairness to S.G.P.C. it can be said, without
much fear of contradiction, that the role of the S.G.P.C.
has been limited to Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib, and
that too towards collecting the "Charhava" and other
receivables from the Sikhs accompanying the Jathas. The
financial and practical assistance of S.G.P.C. to the
Gurdwaras visited has been minimal.

The effect of reduction in populations on the
condition of Sikh Gurdwaras:

a. Gurdwaras in Shangai were abandoned in haste,
and there is no prospect of there being any Sikh Sangat
in Shanghai in the foreseeable future.

b. The prohibition on the establishment of Gurdwaras
in Muslim countries (like, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait)
is well known. There is no likelihood of the policy being
ever relaxed. The Sikh community has learnt to live with
the situation, unsatisfactory though it.

The effect of the Creation of the Pakistan Gurdwara
Parbhandak Committee (PGPC):

a. Situation of the Sikh Gurdwaras in Pakistan in 1999.
These fall under the category of "Evacuee Property" and
are, under the control of the Waqf Board. Only certain
Gurdwaras, as are regularly visited by foreign Sikhs and
SGPC Jathas are looked after. The others are almost
neglected. Waqf Board is not a suitable body for the care
and reverence of these shrines.

b. The present change in the policy of Pakistan will
result in transferring the control of the Gurdwaras to the
local Sikh community. The Gurdwaras and the properties
attached to these will no longer be of an "Evacuee" status.

It will be recalled that the Home Ministers of India
and Pakistan signed an agreement in 1953 which
facilitated the setting up of two boards in the two
countries, concerning this evacuee aspect. That action
was patently wrong, especially when the Independence
Act did not visualize its adoption. The Sikhs have
struggled for long, and, in our prayers, we_ seek:
"Gurdhama de khule darshan didar atey sewa sambhal".
That has now been granted, and the Sikhs all over the
world should thank Waheguru for His Grace.

As a direct result of the transfer of control to PGPC,
the Sikhs now have a responsible role to play. First, the
Gurdwaras would not be controlled by the Pakistan Waqf
Board. There are some 700 Sikh families in Pakistan, who
were until now not free to visit the shrines, much less to
manage these. They would now form a committee. This
committee would have representatives from _ other
countries, like the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, and
even India. The criteria would be a friendly and co-

operative attitude towards Pakistan and its people; the
genuine desire to encourage the fulfillment of the object
of the progress and welfare of the Gurdwaras, and
preservation of the Sikh religion and its traditions. The
Jathedars of the five Takhts in India would have one
representative each on the Committee. It would,
therefore, have a wider acceptance than that of the SGPC.
While the overseas Sikhs would be able to visit the
Pakistan Gurdwaras at any time, any Sikh from India
could also come to the Wagah border, and get a visa to
visit the Gurdwaras for a fortnight throughout the year.
Under the present arrangement, a fixed number of Sikhs
can visit the Gurdwaras only during the Gurpurabs. Now
that Sikhs all over the world would have free year-long
access to our holy shrines, it can only be deemed to be an
important achievement.

General Nasir is the chairman of the Pakistan Waaqf
Board and, by virtue of that position, he is heading the
PGPC. But this is just a temporary arrangement. When a
new committee is formed by the Pakistani Sikhs and
others, no one but a Sikh shall be its head. It would be a
democratic institution, and its functions would fully
conform to Sikh traditions, to operate on the same pattern
as the SGPC. It should be remembered that under the
1925 Act, Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar presides over
every first meeting of the general house of the SGPC; and
he may be a Sikh, Muslim, Hindu or a Christian. General
Nasir?s position on the PGPC is similar.

C. How effective have been the Jathas of SGPC in post?
1947 period; During the Congress government period,
being a secular institution, it was unsympathetic towards

the visits of the Sikhs to their shrines in Pakistan. Their
governments ruled India for decades. They kept the
number of Sikh visitors down to a few hundred per Jatha,
and included security and spy personnel. Much misery,
disappointment was suffered by genuine devotees. During
the BJP government period, as the Akalis were partners in
the government at the Centre and in the Punjab, the BJP
government allowed Jathas by the thousand. The role of
SGPC has clearly been limited to a few visits, and
congregations in a year, mainly Nankana Sahib, Dera
Sahib and Panja Sahib. It has not been able to improve
its relationship with Pakistan or its people. SGPC’s role has
been circumscribed by the politics of India rather than by
the necessity to propagate the religion of Guru Nanak, as
its top priority. The maintenance of the remaining
Gurdwaras in Pakistan has been totally neglected. SGPC
does not spend any funds of its own on repair and
maintenance of the Gurdwaras, nor can it suggest ways
and means for the recovery of maximum possible revenue
from Gurdwara lands and properties.

Pakistan, being a sovereign country, based on
Sharia law, has hitherto deemed the Sikh Gurdwaras as
"Evacuee" property. As such, the Sikh Gurdwaras came
under the control of the Wagqf Board. Many Gurdwaras
have landed property attached to them, but the revenue
to be drawn from such properties were totally under the
discretionary control of the Wagf Board. The result has
been that the income has been meagre. There were no
SGPC guidelines for its betterment. It is a fact, for
example, that in 1979 to 1981, there was a fulltime
gardener who looked after the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara
and tended the garden and the well in its immediate

vicinity. When in 1982, the incumbent gardener died, the
Wagdf Board took no steps to replace him. The SGPC never
took any notice of the deteriorating state of that shrine. It
is a fact well known to SGPC that, in the course of its pre-
1947 history, the building had been refurbished at the
cost of the Maharaja of Patiala. Similar fate of neglect and
inaction, resulting in destruction, fell on other smaller
Gurdwaras in West Punjab. In solitary instances,
individual Sikhs took the initiative (for personal reasons)
to improve the condition of some of the buildings for which
they have had particular empathy, for example, Bhai
Lallo?s well in Eminabad was repaired and the Gurdwara
refurbished by a Sikh family from overseas.

What next? The heart of any Sikh, who has to utter
these sentiments, fills with grief, but it has to be recorded
that, bearing in mind the pitiable and self-destructive
activities of the Sikh leadership in India, it is foolish to
expect any credible initiative from them.

The SGPC must understand that one of its functions
is to ensure the sustained propagation of the Sikh religion.
The criticism, by SGPC, of the Pakistan Government, and
the threatening not to send Jathas to Pakistan as a protest
against the creation of PGPC, is an example of lack of
appreciating reality. The Pakistan Government, like the
Government of China, have no obligation to maintain an
alien religion in their country. Upto now, SGPC and the
Sikh leadership in India have proved themselves to be
totally powerless to exert any influence on the Pakistan
Government. They could have done so by spending time,
money and effort, in the structural maintenance of the
Gurdwaras, and by maintaining a liaison with the Pakistani

Sikhs. This latter neglect resulted in there being no local
Sangats in that country to attend at those Gurdwaras.
Now that the Pakistan Government has taken the initiative
to hand over the management of the historic Sikh
Gurdwaras in Pakistan to the Sikhs, it is foolish to expect
that that government would let into its country foreign
nationals who have an in-built prejudices The Pakistan
Government deserves to be congratulated, for handing
over the management of the Sikh Gurdwaras to its Sikh
citizens. The criticism of the Sikh leadership in India about
the head of the PGPC being a retired army general, is
again futile and unwarranted. The critics forget that when
the British created the SGPC under the 1925 Act, they laid
it down that, at the inaugural meeting of the house, the
Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar would be the Chairman.
From time to time the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar
may be a Hindu, Sikh, Christian or a Muslim. This kind of
criticism amounts to a pot calling the kettle "black".

To be realistic, the Sikhs throughout the world
should appreciate that it is in their best interests that as
many Sikh Gurdwaras as possible in West Punjab should
be well maintained and functioning according to the Sikh
traditions. This would entail collection of funds, provision
of qualified and suitable Sikh preachers. It is well known
that the present population of Sikhs in Pakistan is very
small and, within their numbers, there are very few
persons of good preacher quality. The best action that the
Sikhs could take in the present circumstance is:

a. To appreciate the goodwill that is reflected in the
initiative of the Pakistan Government through its offer to
give the Sikhs the control of their Gurdwaras;

b. Take advantage of the establishment of PGPC as a
first step towards taking the responsibility of maintenance
of Gurdwaras, and ensuring the regular function of these
according to our traditions;

Cc. It is imperative that a few dozen Sikhs of an open
outlook and friendly disposition towards the Pakistan
Government and its people, should put their heads
together, and raise funds, make plans, and find ways and
means of inducing the best brains in the community to put
life into the buildings and institutions that are so sacred
and dear to our hearts. Throwing brickbats on the
Pakistan Government, and on those Sikhs who have
encouraged that Government and its people to show
goodwill towards the Sikh religion, is totally out of place.
Let us hope that the divergent political interests and the
unfriendly slogans that are being displayed in Pakistan
and India shall be eliminated forthwith, and the object of
raising the status of birthplace of Guru Nanak from an
"evacuee property" to the Vatican of the Sikh religion, be
given a sustained and urgent priority.